SOTD- sheng of the day

Steve - thanks very much, your sample just arrived this morning! I look forward to trying it out. Regarding bricks v. cakes, it's more to do with compression, don't you think? The tightly-compressed hold on for longer.

Today's shengpu, the spritely Shuangjiang Mengku "Muyechun 002". I like this friendly, inexpensive brand for their sweet teas made from decent-quality leaves. The 002 is darker and broader than the more tippy 001.






Toodlepip,

Hobbes

2002 Hai Lang Hao Mengku Wild Arbor
Sample from B&B buy
Flavor – Excellent
Mouth feel – very full
Hui gan – moderate and variable
Astringency –enough to balance
Smoke - strong
Dryness- moderate
Chaqi- very relaxed.
Purchase again - Yes

8 gr. in 100ml. Gawain
15s 12s 15s 12s 30s 90s

As I dumped my first rinse, a pronounced smokey scent filled the room, as if I opened a can of latakia tobacco.

1st Infusion 15s Liquor is an orange yellow, a tad cloudy, smoke and very sweet, very low astringency. Very thick mouth feel.

2nd Infusion 12s Liquor has a slight red tinge to it; the photo is from this infusion.
Smoke is more pronounced, almost like charcoal, sweetness has dropped away to the background, a pleasant astringency has arrived. Mouth feel remains the same.

3rd Infusion 15s Liquor is a reddish orange. Astringency has increased again and smoke has dropped further back. Mouth feel is still full, a woody dryness has developed.
Tea leaves are fully opened after this infusion.

4th Infusion 12s pulled it back a bit, really enjoying this.

5th Infusion 30s the sweetness has returned but at the loss of the woodiness and charcoal.

6th Infusion 90s done, but still nice hints of smoke and sweet.


This is one of the nicest and most interesting Pu-erh teas I have sampled in my limited experience.

Jim, I had the same pu'erh yesterday. Similar tasting notes.

Jim said:

2002 Hai Lang Hao Mengku Wild Arbor ...
As I dumped my first rinse, a pronounced smokey scent filled the room, as if I opened a can of latakia tobacco.

1st Infusion 15s Liquor is an orange yellow, a tad cloudy, smoke and very sweet, very low astringency. Very thick mouth feel.

2nd Infusion 12s Liquor has a slight red tinge to it; the photo is from this infusion.
Smoke is more pronounced, almost like charcoal, sweetness has dropped away to the background, a pleasant astringency has arrived. Mouth feel remains the same.

3rd Infusion 15s Liquor is a reddish orange. Astringency has increased again and smoke has dropped further back. Mouth feel is still full, a woody dryness has developed.
Tea leaves are fully opened after this infusion.

4th Infusion 12s pulled it back a bit, really enjoying this.

5th Infusion 30s the sweetness has returned but at the loss of the woodiness and charcoal.

6th Infusion 90s done, but still nice hints of smoke and sweet.

This is one of the nicest and most interesting Pu-erh teas I have sampled in my limited experience.

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expatCanuck said:

...Not unlike smoking a bowl of nicely aged, unflavored tobacco -- but in a good way. A fair bit of smoke, a bit of mouth feel. ...

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Jim shoor do tawk purdy.

But, yeah, you're right. I foresee a B&B run on this one.
My email's already off to Scott -- would that I could countenance several.

Another go at the '08 XG FT mushroom tuo- meaty beaty big and bouncy. I love this stuff.

If I recall correctly (and at the risk of Ian's driving down from Canada to stomp a new mud hole in me), Hobbes was fond of his dram.


Okay. That was really godawful.

From Steve's sampler.
This is okay.
I'm glad I'm not a huge fan, 'cause I'll soon be running out of space and funds.
Dunno how these Hobbesian Scottos (or is that Scottish Hobbes) do it.

... anyway ...

Lovely auburn liquor.
Flavor – rich, tobacco-ey; starts to get bitter with later (5+ infusions)
Mouth feel – some -- my tongue's getting numb
Hui gan – I wouldn't know hui gan if it bit me on the bottom
Astringency – not quite enough to balance the smoke
Smoke - yep
Dryness - insofar as there's smoke ...
Chaqi - there's another one of those words again
Purchase again - no

Some of the basic elements of the Hai Lang Hao, but lacks its richness & complexity. It's okay, but that's it.

'08 Yiwu Zhengshan "no-name" Bulang brick

Scotto said this was better than the Douji branded mini bricks. It's a bit chalky at first, but opens to reveal a bit of fruit and spice, and some interesting flavors. A decent, solid selection at a bargain price but, alas, no more.

2005 CNNP Yellow Label

This thing is tired already, and it is only a 2005. Sad. Not a great tea.

expatCanuck said:

2008 Dehong brick - photos here.

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I love this stuff - I still haven't found as good an everyday/cheap & cheerful tea as this.

I got my sample of Yiwu Hongqing Arbor and will give it a go tomorrow.

I've been pretty pressed at work, so have had to resort to drinking crappy coffee

expatCanuck said:

Will be interested to hear your musings. I was underwhelmed on my first go-'round.

+++++

Currently:
2002 Hai Lang Hao Mengku Wild Arbor, courtesy netsurfr Steve's 'group buy'. Now sipping my fourth bowl. Not unlike smoking a bowl of nicely aged, unflavored tobacco -- but in a good way. A fair bit of smoke, a bit of mouth feel. If I feel the same way about this after my next session, I just might pick up a beeng.

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expatCanuck said:

From Steve's sampler.
This is okay.
I'm glad I'm not a huge fan, 'cause I'll soon be running out of space and funds.
Dunno how these Hobbesian Scottos (or is that Scottish Hobbes) do it.

... anyway ...

Lovely auburn liquor.
Flavor – rich, tobacco-ey; starts to get bitter with later (5+ infusions)
Mouth feel – some -- my tongue's getting numb
Hui gan – I wouldn't know hui gan if it bit me on the bottom
Astringency – not quite enough to balance the smoke
Smoke - yep
Dryness - insofar as there's smoke ...
Chaqi - there's another one of those words again
Purchase again - no

Some of the basic elements of the Hai Lang Hao, but lacks its richness & complexity. It's okay, but that's it.

Click to expand...

Now that is just too funny. That is often the way I feel as a beginner with these teas. That's why I just don't even try to say something that sounds like I know what I am talking about; I would end up displaying my profound ignorance.

'07 Bulang Spring Buds Pu'er Tea Cake

How's that for a generic sounding desription? I have a lot of samples laying around, and they fall into two categories-
1) If it's from someone I know and respect, and I'm already drinking a cup when it arrives, I'll dump my current cup and brew the sample immediately.
2) If it's a sample that came with an order, it goes into the cupboards, and may stay there for months.

A little research revealed that it was this tea-
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_7&products_id=327

The producer is Old County Organic Tea. I believe in the standard factory numbering system (ie: Kunming=1, Menghai=2, Xiaguan=3, etc.) they are number 72. Still, there's nothing preventing anyone from obtaining some good leaf and processing into a fine tea.

If I tried this one six months ago I would have been very happy to discover it, but not today. It's easygoing enough to please a beginner, but lacks the power and nuance we look for in a good shengpu. It offers no indication, tastewise, that it is from Bulang, or anywhere else, for that matter.

At $14, it's an inexpensive cake, but underscores the problem of buying inexpensive pu'er in general: you can spend little bits of money and get items that are very good, if not damned near great, or you can nothing for your money. So when you see an item like this-
http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=64_65&products_id=695
you may say to yourself, "Hmm, Kunming is a famous old factory, Bulang is a great area, how can I go wrong for the price?", but the reality is that you shouldn't expect too much.

2000 Long Yuan Hao Yi Wu Mountain

B&B group buy 3.50 per 25 gr.

Flavor - Good
Mouthfeel - Medium
Hui gan - Subtle
Astringency - Moderate
Smoke – Very Subtle
Dryness-Some
Chaqi- Buzzy,floaty
Overall value - Good
Purchase again – Meh

The liquor is very orange. The scent of the first rinse was smokey, but did not travel to the cup very much. The tea is very consistent from beginning to end, I pushed it harder and it rewarded me with more of the same.


While this tea is well balanced and has all the right moves, I find it a little boring.

2003 Jing Mai Round Cake

Yuck. Just yuck.
Like an oral antibiotic that's passed its 'Best Before' date.

Washed out the taste with some 2008 dehong brick.

expatCanuck said:

2003 Jing Mai Round Cake

Yuck. Just yuck.
Like an oral antibiotic that's passed its 'Best Before' date.

Washed out the taste with some 2008 dehong brick.

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I too found that this was definitely not my favorite. It was on the very astringent side for me.
Question for those that are more informed than I, is this a sign of a tea that needs more aging? Or, just an indication of a crappy blend of leaves?

'07 Xiaguan Baoyan ODB brick

Simple but not in the least bit austere, and still the best bargain in tea. Perfect for a dark, dank day, and today qualifies. As restorative as a bowl of French onion soup.

ouch said:

'07 Xiaguan Baoyan ODB brick

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ODB?

expatCanuck said:

2003 Jing Mai Round Cake

Yuck. Just yuck.
Like an oral antibiotic that's passed its 'Best Before' date.

Washed out the taste with some 2008 dehong brick.

Click to expand...

netsurfr said:

I too found that this was definitely not my favorite. It was on the very astringent side for me.
Question for those that are more informed than I, is this a sign of a tea that needs more aging? Or, just an indication of a crappy blend of leaves?

Click to expand...

It's a small world! By chance, I just had the same today. I liked it, though




Toodlepip,

Hobbes

ouch said:

'07 Xiaguan Baoyan ODB brick

Simple but not in the least bit austere, and still the best bargain in tea. Perfect for a dark, dank day, and today qualifies. As restorative as a bowl of French onion soup.

Click to expand...

expatCanuck said:

ODB?

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Haha... Old Dirty B*****d, I assume! I used to love the Brothers Wu-tang. Great name for the Baoyan - if it had a voice, it would speak in his accent...


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

Hobbesoxon said:

It's a small world! By chance, I just had the same today. I liked it, though

Toodlepip,

Hobbes

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Well, based on that comprehensive writeup, I need to give this tea another try. Perhaps my technique was to blame for my experience. Thanks, Hobbes!

Your mileage may YMMV!